Regional development agency eastern Serbia – RARIS from Zajecar in partnership with eight tourist organizations from eastern Serbia (Sokobanja, Knjazevac, Boljevac, Zajecar, Negotin, Bor, Kladovo and Majdanpek) organized a study trip for tour operators from Sofia from 13th to 16th August 2015.
At the beginning of the year, RARIS and tourist organizations from the region identified Bulgaria as a growing emitive market for bringing tourist into eastern Serbia and agreed on a joint appearance. RARIS organized a meeting with about 10 tour operators from Bulgaria in the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Sophia on 1st July. In the meeting a tourist offer from our region was presented and a study trip for Bulgarian tour operators was agreed upon. As a preparation for the arrival of Bulgarian tour operators and tourist agencies, RARIS and tourist organizations of Eastern Serbia prepared a proposal in English language for seven joint regional three – day tourist tours and submitted them to Bulgarian partners.
Eleven tour operators from Sofia, members of ABBTA (Association of Bulgarian tour operators and tourist agencies) participated in the study trip around eastern Serbia. They were presented with tourist offers in eight municipalities. During their four – day stay, 19 hotels were presented to them in which they were able to talk to the managers, in order to get information on the contents, capacities and prices, for the purpose of establishing future cooperation. Of other tourist contents they got to know the catering offer, the wine cellars in Negotin and Knjazevac, museums, galleries, a zoo and Lazar’s cave in Bor, wellness offer of Sokobanja and Stara Planina Mountain. They saw two big tourist events from eastern Serbia, Gitarijada in Zajecar and the First Accordion of Sokobanja. They had two meetings with tourist workers in Zajecar and Sokobanja. Already during this tour the tourist operators started to negotiate the organization of New Year’s Eve party in Serbia and they sent their requests to the hotels in Negotin, Kladovo, Bor, Boljevac, Sokobanja and Knjazevac.
Bulgarian tour operators announced that they would include the tourist destination of eastern Serbia in their regular programs and that they were primarily interested in weekend programs lasting three days, holiday programs (New Year, Easter, Christmas, September holidays), wine tours and health tourism. They showed particular interest in the establishment of cooperation with the largest tourist events and organized tourist arrivals at these (Gitarijada and the First Accordion of Sokobanja).
